What's On This Weekend in Moscow

Aug. 30 - Sept. 2

Two members of the amazing Cresendo Bicycle Showband from the Netherlands on their way to Red Square.

Courtesy of Spasskaya Bashnya

Spasskaya Tower Festival

All weekend

Spasskaya Tower is a military band festival that takes place in the very heart of Moscow on Red Square. Considered one of the capital's most spectacular events, the festival’s line-up includes military, marching, bicycling and other bands from all around the world, parades, horse shows and much more. Book ahead as the event is extremely popular with Muscovites and tourists alike.

'The War Has Not Started Yet'

Sept. 1

“The War Has Not Started Yet” is the latest production by Praktika, one of Moscow’s most experimental theaters. Directed by Semyon Aleksandrovsky, known for his documentary and interactive productions, it’s based on a text by Mikhail Durenkov. While all the characters wear clowns’ wigs and every intermission is a cacophony of harmonicas, the performance actually explores such poignant and potentially contentious themes as last year’s teenage protests and young people’s contradictions with their parents.

Anatomy of Cubism

Until Oct. 28

“Anatomy of Cubism” is the latest semi-educational exhibition at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. It’s basically Pablo Picasso’s sketchbook for “Les Demoiselles d'Avignon” - one of his most seminal paintings - made into an installation. Picasso worked on “Les Demoiselles d'Avignon” for nine months and made more than 800 sketches. Sixty of them, on loan from the Picasso House Museum in Malaga, are now on display at the Pushkin Museum, along with several items from the museum’s collection that might have served as an inspiration for the famous painting.

12 Ulitsa Volkhonka. Metro Kropotkinskaya. pushkinmuseum.art

One of Picasso's sketches on display.

Courtesy of Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

Synthposium

All weekend

Synthposium is an annual Moscow-based festival exploring the new interdisciplinary culture at the intersection of electronic music and technology. Apart from public talks and workshops by industry experts, Synthposium will organize several concerts of high-profile electronic and experimental musicians, including Philip Jeck, Kate NV, Aïsha Devi and Roly Porter. Stanislavsky Electrotheater will host the main program. Nearby Electro Noor bar will host some of the sessions, too. To view the full program, check the festival’s website.

23 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Tverskaya. program.synthposium.ru

Roger Waters

Aug. 31

Roger Waters needs no introduction. A founding member of Pink Floyd, one of the most influential bands of 20th century, he pursued a successful solo career after the band’s break-up. Moscow concert at the Olimpiysky Stadium is part of the “Us+Them” tour, which consists of Pink Floyd’s greatest hits and new songs from Roger Waters’ latest critically acclaimed album “Is This the Life We Really Want?”

16 Prospekt Olimpiysky. Metro Prospekt Mira. www.olimpik.ru

Moscow Music Week

All weekend

Moscow Music Week, back in the city for a fourth edition, is a "showcase festival," which means the bands performing at various venues will be grouped by genre or recording label. For instance, there’ll be a shoegaze showcase, a “Russian melancholy” showcase and Nordic showcase - which might not be a lively as the Hip-hop or Meta-pop showcases. But who knows?

Various venues around the city. musicweek.moscow/festival/

Hailu Mergia

Aug. 31

Another weekend party at Strelka courtyard will feature a truly rare gem: Hailu Mergia. A star on Ethiopia funk and jazz scene in 1970s, Hailu Mergia was rediscovered by the famous label “Awesome Tapes From Africa” and is now touring the world. If that isn't your gig, on Sept. 3, for the first time Strelka will present a live classical music and opera evening featuring Vivaldi and Handel.